How many logos does a brand need? While a single logo is important for consistency and brand recognition, multiple logo variations allow brands to present a cohesive identity across all mediums and touchpoints.
That’s why brand design agencies like MOO don’t just design a logo, but also several different versions and variants too. Maintaining multiple logo variants ensures brand versatility and flexibility. And here’s how.
Why are logo design variations so important?
There’s no such thing as a single one-size-fits-all logo. Logos will be used across multiple materials and contact points, including:
- Websites
- Business cards
- Social media
- Letterheads
- Products and packaging
- … and more
Professional logo design services will also design different logo variants so your brand can present a visually consistent image. These variants should be formalised in the brand guidelines, which should also outline the specific use cases for each variation to ensure your brand puts its best foot forward.
Logo variations are also increasingly important for the digital landscape. A responsive website automatically adjusts to the user’s device to ensure a consistent experience, eliminating the need to develop and maintain parallel mobile and desktop websites. It ensures a seamless digital experience for all users, and plays a key role in accessible web design.
How many logo variations should you have? The key types of logo variations (almost) all brands need
What is a primary logo?
Like the name suggests, the primary logo is the main logo used to represent your brand. As the “hero” logo, the primary logo is the most “complete” variant, typically featuring the most detail, information, and visual elements. While the specifics will vary between brands, some common features include:
- Incorporating the brand’s primary colour palette
- Including taglines, mottos, and other supporting copy
- Using the full, unabbreviated brand name
The primary logo should be used prominently and as much as possible, especially in important touchpoints including (but not limited to) website headers and menus, letterheads, business cards, advertising materials, signage, and more.
When it comes to brand creation, the primary logo is typically the first to be designed, with other logo variations in the brand guidelines following the primary logo’s cues.
What is a secondary logo?
Otherwise known as an alternate or supporting logo, this logo variant is used in situations where the primary logo design isn’t appropriate. It’s usually made by rearranging elements from the primary logo, though some secondary logos will also simplify or remove certain brand elements.
One of the most common use-cases for a secondary logo is when space limitations make it hard to use the primary logo. This can include cases where there’s either simply not enough space for the primary logo to fit.
With most primary logos aligned horizontally, many brands may also choose to make their secondary logo a more compact, square or vertically-aligned variation. These are known as stacked logos, and are frequently used as secondary logos to be used when the primary one is too wide.
What is a brandmark logo?
A brandmark logo (also known as a logomark) strips out the text elements, leaving only an icon, emblem, or symbol behind. Think of it as a distilled version of your logo, stripped back to its most recognisable elements while still being identifiable as your brand.
Brandmarks are the most compact version of a logo, making them well-suited for cases where usable space is tight, even for the brand’s secondary logo such as:
- Profile images on social media
- App icons
- Watermarks
Many brands will also use a further simplified brandmark logo called a favicon, used to identify a website in browser tabs and bookmarks. With the default favicon size limited to 16×16 pixels, careful design is required to ensure they’re still recognisable at such a small scale.
Other common logo variations
While these logo variations are the most common ones, each brand is different. Depending on the channels, brand collateral, brands may need to design additional variations.
Logo colour variations
While most logos will be designed with the brand’s primary colour palette in mind, it’s also a good idea to design variants in alternate colours. Alternate colour palettes allow the logo to be used different backgrounds without contrast or readability issues.
For example, logos that use a dark palette can be hard to read when set against a dark background. Designing variants that use lighter or reversed colours ensures logos can still be used in these situations. Monochromatic logos are another common colour variation used where there are limited colour options such as greyscale applications or packaging labels.
Brands may have multiple monochromatic logos, depending on their specific needs. This can include alternate colourations, monochrome, and black & white variations.
Regional and sub-brand variations
For brands that operate across multiple locations or industry sectors, specific logos for individual regions or industries might be needed. Regional and sub-brand logos need to strike a balance between retaining elements of the parent brand, while also distinguishing themselves.
Using an example from our own portfolio, Dahlsens is a leading supplier of construction materials throughout Australia. Its north Queensland subsidiaries trade under the Cairns Hardware brand.
To reflect the unique brand identity of its Queensland operations while also ensuring consistency with the parent brand, our brand design agency in Melbourne designed new branding for Cairns Hardware. This included variants of the main Dahlsens logo tweaked to suit the regional sub-brand.
Seasonal logo variations
Seasonal logos are an excellent way of making a brand more distinct while also having a little bit of fun. These are temporary variations designed for specific events, holidays, or seasons.They can be especially valuable for brands that run seasonal campaigns.
Variants can range from minor colour changes to seasonal embellishments such as mistletoe for Christmas, or a rainbow palette for Pride Month. As with all logo variants, the design work is best left to a professional designer to ensure the result is consistent with existing branding.
Looking for a brand design agency in Melbourne?
Brand design doesn’t just stop at logos. A good brand also takes into consideration factors such as tone-of-voice, brand personality, colour schemes, and more. All of these come together to create a cohesive, unified identity for your organisation.
This requires a team with experience across a range of branding services. MOO Marketing & Design is a marketing agency specialising in brand design in Melbourne. In addition to logo design, our Melbourne branding agency also offers a range of other marketing services, such as:
- Graphic design
- Digital marketing
- Email marketing
- Copywriting
- Web design services
- Website development
Find out how we can support your brand today by calling (03) 8843 1600 during business hours (or 0466 066 691 after-hours) or by completing our contact form. We’d love to hear your brief!